


Hard Knocks

by Pipedream



Series: Through it all [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Family, Other, Same-Sex Marriage, Tragedy, death later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6184951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pipedream/pseuds/Pipedream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of short stories focusing on Shaun growing up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Brightness

**Author's Note:**

> Another series that is an alternative to the other I have in progress. I actually find this one easier to write but painful at the same time. It'll be obvious as this gets rolling along. As a result there will be more updates.

Brightness. A much more different kind of brightness than the artificial light he had been born to. His memories had been born to. It took the boy a few moments to adjust his eyes to his new surroundings, to his new home.

The first place inside his memory was bright but chaotic. Sterile walls, sterile floors, a space that hit his senses harshly like inhaling a cleaning chemical. The world felt like it was buzzing as he just remembered like his life depended on it to find his

Mother.

_Mother, mom, where are you?_

He circled as he hid behind artificial grass gardens and trees that were commanded since the day they were seeds. There was nothing organic here except the fallen bodies of people. The boy looked up to see the war zone, the screaming, the mass panic to find shelter as others projected dangerous beams of light.

He ran to find someone, someone that vaguely looked like the blurry image inside his head that his memory last remembered. Through the warzone he searched, till finally he got to a room that was no longer bright. What it lacked in lighting it in brought in safety and in silence. A group of people stood around chatting, describing objectives and plans.

"Hello...?" He stood staring at the group, a mouse among giants.

"Hey hold up, its a kid!" One of them greeted.

"Yo, little man, did you get separated from your parents?" The stranger crouched down to meet him at eye level.

"Yes..I'm looking for my mom." He replied meekly.

"What does she look like?"

"Slightly dark skinned like me with blue eyes."

"What's your name kid?"

"Shaun."

The crowd looked at each other with hesitant looks at the boy.

"Can you help me?"

The stranger was just about to respond when a loud bang echoed throughout the room. Immediately he got up and gripped the gun beside his overall pocket. The others also followed suit and prepared to attack.

Shaun involuntarily shook as he was prepared to hide. He was already sick of this place of chaos and death. The boy ran and hid behind the nearest control panel, effectively being blocked from harm. Titling his head out of curiosity he glanced at where the sound was coming from. The sound had come from the doorway, shouts and footsteps coming closer. Shaun turned away to steady his breathing and prevent himself from crying. He didn't want to die, not without finding the matching face to his mother.  


"Tinker Tom! What's the status?"

"All synths have been transported out safely. Or at least as many as we could get." He answered begrudgingly.

"Are we all set to clear?"

"You bet! But there's someone here to see you. He says he's your son."

The woman's eyes visibly widened as she glanced behind the counter were the boy was hiding.  
Shaun felt a shadow tower over him as he looked up to gaze at the woman.

A sudden emotion overwhelmed him. The urge to hug her tugged at his heart but something told him to hold back.  
"Mom!" 

"Hi Shaun." She said hesitantly. Something was wrong, something felt off. But all Shaun wanted was to finally find her and leave the forsaken place he had just woke up in.

"Can we please go?" He said pleadingly, excitement made his heart leap. He had finally found her. 

"Of course. Tinker let's get going."

The boy felt his whole body go numb and then a tingle sensation as he made it to the second place in his memory. It was a dimly lit place but quieter and safer. He could see the same group of people. But no sign of his mother. Panicking, he ran up to a man.

"Excuse me sir but where's everyone?"

The man looked down at the boy and shifted uneasily.

"Listen kid, they'll be back soon. They just had to handle-"

A loud bang, a very loud bang. The room shook for a few moments, startling the child.

"Hey, now it's okay! They'll be back soon." The man replied quickly and turned to see what the commotion was. Shaun could only watch as the man went to regroup with the others and huddle by a radio.

A voice was heard from the machine. A loud cheer. It was hard to understand what was happening except that he was told that the fighting was over. That the enemy was gone.  
_But who exactly was this enemy?_

The boy waited for three days around the room. He met with his first robot, an automatron named P.A.M. who didn't say much but would educate him about various things. He learned the strangers names. Drummer boy (though he found it strange why he called himself that if he wasn't a boy anymore), Dr. Carrington who eyed him peculiarly sometimes like if Shaun wasn't real, then finally tinker Tom and Desdemona when they had returned.

It was also the third day when he met her again and she took him back to "home."

A new kind of brightness, organic light. It wasn't like the sterile lights from before or the rusty yellows of the room. This light lit the dusty, barren land into different colors and made shadows dance. The boy realized that the world was a much more bigger place by the time they got to Sanctuary.  
The old rundown houses and make shift shacks, the small plants and crops that grew through the wasteland. It brought the small boy a sense of hope amongst the rubble and all the bloodshed he had seen when he first woke up. When they finally made it to the end of the street, to their new home, the boy smiled at the woman.  
"Thank you so much Mom. I know I am going to love it here." He gave her a small hug and left to check the inside of the house. What the boy had not seen was the tears that fell on the woman after he had left.


	2. Mothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaun meets with his second mother for the first time as well as meets with his other caretaker.

Somewhere in his memory he recalled being told his father had died. His mother had taken him to visit the grave above the hill and had been explained where she had lived, why their skin was a dark tanned olive and even how they had gotten their dog, Dogmeat.  
He had a father, his mother was married before. His father was gone. All this was before his memory.  
His mother had fallen in love once more. 

He was sitting down under the old porch of the main house, dissembling an old telephone. Thoughts played with each other inside his head.  
_Who is my new father?_

Footsteps came towards him. He got up to greet the person as well as make space for them to pass. The house was after all used for meetings. Instead he found himself next to a woman dressed in a red trench coat and a press cap. 

"Hello." He said timidly as he greeted the new person. As much as he didn't want to be bothered he was taught to avoid rudeness. Something he learned mostly from Codsworth when his mother was away.

"What are you building there?"

"Something. Usually a little modification for a gun."

"Wow! Really?" The woman said impressed. Shaun noticed the pens lined up neatly over the back of her gloved hand.

_Was she a reporter?_

"Yeah! Sometimes they get used, other times I get a few caps for them from caravan people." He said humbly, trying not to gloat. But even his mother took pride in his work, always eager to try them and provide materials for his work. 

"That's really impressive!" 

"I'm Shaun by the way." The boy lifted his hand offering a handshake. He got a puzzled look from the woman but she instantly returned the gesture. 

"Piper."

As she shook his hand, he noticed a gold band around her finger, a similar ring like the one that his mother wore.  
Instantly he looked up after exchanging the greeting. A surprised look grazed his face.

"Are you..are you married to my Mom?" 

"Seems you also are a bit of a private eye aren't you?" She smiled tenderly. The expression reminded him immediately of his mother's. 

"Would that mean you're my new dad? But you're a girl so.." The boy frowned in thought. Piper laughed but she also gave it a thought.

"Well you can call me that or you can call me something else if you want." She winked. 

"I think..I think I'll also call you Mom then...Mommy." He bashfully said as he looked away.

She gave a surprised face and chuckled.  
"Alright kiddo. I'll be honored to be your Mommy." She answered, patting his shoulder. 

"Oh your Mother also wanted you to meet someone." 

"Oh?" 

"Yeah, let's go meet them." Piper gestured for him to follow. As they walked through the settlement Shaun glanced at the slowly populated settlement. It seemed like every other week, someone new would come by. He looked up towards the woman and wondered why his mother had fallen in love with her. The idea of people falling in love with the same gender was nothing new to him but he was curious to know if he would get along well with his new mother. They finally reached a house recently built of old wood. The structure was sound and spacious even though the appearance of the building was crude. As they entered he immediately heard a familiar voice.

"Hi Shaun!" 

"Mom! Your back!" The boy smiled and ran to give the woman a bear hug. 

"I see you've met your other mom. So what do you think?"

The boy shifted uncomfortably, he didn't want to accidentally offend her.

"Go ahead, it's okay." Piper coaxed him.

"I..I think she's nice. I'm not sure yet." He said timidly, averting his eyes from anyone.

"He does have a good point, we only just met. Only time will tell." Piper smirked.

"Hmmm. You guys are right. Well Shaun you still need to meet your godfather."

"Godfather?" He heard footsteps, as a man walked into the room. He wore a battered old fedora, and a trench coat but what caught Shaun off guard was his yellowed reflected eyes. Shaun had heard the word synth passed around the settlement on occasion but he never met one before. 

"Hello there." The voice shook him off his stare as the boy stammered to get a greeting out.

"Hi there...sir."

"No need to be formal kid. Name's Nick." 

Shaun brought his hand out for a courtesy hand shake. He nearly winced as he felt cold steel grip his hand and then let go. 

"Shaun, Nick is your Godfather now. Which means he will take care of you if neither of us are here." He could hear his mother say as he glanced up at the man. 

"Are you a.."

"Synth? Yeah I am."

"Yes but a detective." The boy eyed the man in admiration.  
"Like in the comic books I read!" Shaun shouted.

Suddenly Piper started laughing as his mother came up to push him back.

"Erm..sorry Nick. Boy gets carried away sometimes." 

"No it's alright, I am! I'm glad I have already earned his respect." The synth smiled humorously as the kid started shooting him question after question. 

"Wow there! How about we all go and get something to eat before we go about asking questions." Piper took the boy outside as they all started to head out.  
Shaun could hardly contain his excitement at the new visitors. At his new mother and godfather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big apologize in advance if I wrote something out of line. Please let me know if something sounds off. Although I grew up in a pro equality city, I know I still mess up on proper terms.


	3. Storm Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A radiation storm hits Sanctuary, causing Shaun insomnia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more happy chapter and then this is definitely going downhill.

The alarm clock glowed 1am. Shaun had taken his Rad-X tablets as instructed by his mother but the sinking feeling growing in his stomach would not go away. He could hear the storm clouds tremble closer and closer as it came through the settlement. The window of his bedroom had been boarded up yet his imagination still ran wild of what the ominous green smog would bring. 

Darkness, except the glow of his alarm clock. He took the clunky machine and lowered it to the bottom of his bed, peeking over the edge. 

_No sign of rad roaches. Or worse._

He exhaled, not realizing he had held his breath for the duration of the discovery. Persuading his mind that all was well he settled into his bed and closed his eyes.

_Everything is okay._

A low grumble was heard from outside. Immediately the boy got up and froze in fear. The sound was instantly gone only to be replaced by a louder bang. Lighting.

The boy counted to ease his fear.

_One...rad roach._

Another strike.

_Two...rad roaches._

He shivered. As another fell.  
A loud cracking sound was heard of an old tree falling down somewhere from afar. But all the boy could hear was the equivalent of a deathclaw. Shaun got up and ran to his parent's bedroom. The door was closed but not locked as he turned the knob and peeked in.

"Mom! Mommy! There's a monster out there!" He shouted.

Shaun could make out the silhouettes of his two mothers stirring awake. Piper was the first to go into action mode, grabbing the pistol beside her bed. The other woman sat up and held onto her love's arm. 

"Wait Piper. That was the sound of a tree that fell."

"Really?" The boy trembled, still shaken. 

Piper relaxed and rubbed her eyes, she turned to give a look of piety towards the other woman. She shook her head and sighed but knew that Shaun would not be able to sleep. 

"Alright, Shaun you can come and sleep with us tonight." His mother smiled as she scooted over to the edge of the bed to make room for him.   
The boy immediately felt relieved as he climbed over and nestled between his two mothers. Another strike was heard outside that caused him to tremble. A warm hand rubbed circles against his back to calm him. 

"Shhh it's alright. It's just lighting. It's safe now." Piper whispered, already falling asleep. 

He felt his other mother bring the sheets to cover him.   
"I think I'm going to let you share your room with Dogmeat from now on." His mother teased as she brushed the boy's head. She sighed contently at the lack of response. The boy was already asleep. 

"Goodnight Shaun."


	4. Shooting lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An average lesson in shooting becomes a close encounter for young Shaun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Falling asleep as I write this, which means I hope this update isn't too bad.

Boredom. Young, innocent naive boredom. The late afternoon sun made the pavement hotter than usual causing everyone to stay indoors or just seek shelter in the shade.

Neither of his mothers were home and his godfather Nick, was back in Diamond City chasing a case. He was left in the company of Dogmeat who laid asleep contently inside his doghouse. His daily lessons from Codsworth were finished for the day and no one needed his help on tending the local farm.

_Yup, nothing to really do._

The boy had no motivation to work on disassembling anything and instead decided to take the chances of the sun and go for a walk.

Passing through house after house he made his way to the bridge, eyeing the old river that separated Sanctuary from the Red Rocket. Sometimes a body or two would float down the river, a corpse from a place far away. It used to give him shivers to see death but spending life in the commonwealth didn't spare him, making its work to desensitize him.

He felt vaguely disappointed that nothing came by.

"It's a bit too hot to go fishing, don't you think?"

The boy turned to see a man in an old torn beige coat.

"Oh hi uncle Mac, I thought you went to Bunker Hill?" The boy was happy to find someone else to talk to besides Codsworth and if MacCready was here that meant he had stories to tell. 

"I got called to bring something to your mother. Is she here?"

Shaun shook his head. His mother had gone to rescue a kidnapped settler somewhere. The absence caused him to frown in worry.

"Hey, hey don't fret! Your mother has taken down deathclaws, she'll be back, you'll see."

"What did you bring for her anyway?" He asked curiously.

"Oh I brought her this." The ex-gunner proclaimed as he brought out a marksman sniper.

"Wow! I was just working on a mod for one of those." The boy's eyes widened.

"Good timing then eh?" MacCready chuckled as he hid the gun away back to its holder.

"I think I'm gonna stay the night here since she isn't back yet. Have you been doing your studies?"

"Yeah but they aren't as exciting anymore ever since we got to memorizing multiplication." He sighed as they started the trek back into town.

"Well you gotta learn as much as you can. You never know when you'll need it Shaun."

"I heard you can shoot extremely good uncle Mac. Do you think you can teach me?"

"Wow there! is your mom not teaching you?

"She is but she hasn't been home for a while."

"Alright but if she gets angry I won't ever teach you again. Your mother is a better shooter than I am now." He grinned.

They met behind the boy's house that was at the end of the cul de sac. Shaun cleared the area as MacCready blocked off the perimeter. They both agreed that they didn't want to accidentally shoot Dogmeat or Codsworth.

"Alright show me what kind of gun you have."

The boy showed him a pistol. Heavy but well calibrated for a deadly shot.

"I see your mother trusts you with the best."

"Yeah but I need to use both hands to steady it."

"I'm certain you'll be able to handle it when your older. Now watch me closely." Shaun watched as Macready got into position and took aim at a can, hitting it perfectly.

"The trick is like your studies, to always practice."

"Yeah but she told me I should only practice when there's an adult to watch me." The boy sighed.

MacCready smiled and was just about to say something witty about growing up in little lamplight but realized it wouldn't be appropriate. This was a different scenario and this was the son of the one who saved his own son's life and his. He owed his mother a lot, last thing he wanted was to get the boy in danger. Danger like the one they were in now when a Yao guai came roaring through. Immediately he took hold of the pistol and took fire, giving the creature a couple of shots.

"Kid get behind me!" He ordered at the boy as the beast began to charge. The turrets finally took their aim and started to fire at the animal as it rapidly came closer and closer. The creature was very near to mauling at the duo as Macready took his rifle out and gave it a perfect head shot. A loud bang and a screeching roar came to a halt.  
The creature slumped on its side. Dead.

"Heh. Well if you wanted some ribs you better get the pot ready Shaun." He laughed nervously.

"Is that a Yao guai????!!"

Shaun turned to see a familiar face. Mother was home and she was not happy.

"Hey there! We were just practicing Shaun's aim." His uncle said confidently, as if it was all part of plan. 

"At an actual animal!? Scratch that, at a Yao guai ?!"

"He just came charging at us mom! Honestly we were fine!" The boy said whining, doing his best to get his mother to calm down.

"I'd ground the both of you, except Macready is too old for that and Shaun I'd rather see you and not cooped up in your room."

Shaun smiled in relief as they all walked back to the campfire. The meal that night was of course Yao guai ribs. The boy could see the happy expression of his mother when she got the gun from MacCready. Her smile seemed brighter against the fire light. 

_Better than uncle Mac?_

He wondered if perhaps one day he would get to see his mother in a gun fight.


	5. Unintended Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A revealed room forces Shaun to question his identity.

The day started like any other. Shaun sat cross legged on the porch of the main house alone. His two mothers were spending time across the other side of the settlement sitting at an old patio table. He could sometimes hear their laughter over the ambient noise of the summer afternoon. The boy smiled and continued on his work on the latest modification of his mother's gun. Staying near, laid Dogmeat who no matter how many white hairs sprouted, still managed to trot along happily for food just fine. The aging creature lifted its head to give a yawn when suddenly Shaun heard a low growl.   
"Dogmeat? What's wrong boy?" Shaun asked curiously as the shepherd mutt got up and started barking. The boy got up immediately and held the gun in both his hands. A faint mechanical noise was heard of turrets turning and then opening fire. Almost immediately a guard yelled and the whole settlement came alive into defensive maneuvers. Dogmeat sprang to a sprint towards the intruders as Shaun held his stance. Sprays of gunshots being fired littered the air. The boy walked cautiously towards the noise when he felt the collar of his shirt being held. 

"Shaun stay inside the house!" His mother ordered as Piper came to join them. He was about to protest as a loud bang was heard. Grenades. Unsure whether out of fear or of following orders, Shaun hid himself inside the main house, hiding behind the old kitchen counter. The boy could hear more shouts and screams of pain as he prayed that both of his mothers were okay.   
A peculiar smell entered the room, one of burning wiring and gun smoke. The footsteps that accompanied the smell did not sound natural either, with a sharp metal sound hitting the floor. He soon found himself running into another room as the intruder entered. Shaun could hear and feel a surge of electricity being fired at him. Whoever it was that entered, carried a laser weapon. The assaulter ran towards the boy as Shaun closed the door behind him. He barely avoided the blasts coming through the door, the missed shots hitting the wall behind him. The crudely constructed wall fell apart as the door in front of him was being hacked to pieces. Shaun clutched his mother's pistol with its newly made scope into his hand, aiming at the perpetrator. As the door gave away, Shaun could make out the intruder with its pastel red wiring veins, sparks of blue blood and metallic skin. A synth. The earliest being that he first remembered seeing the day he was saved by his mother.   
Shaun could make out the machine as it pointed its gun towards him. Loud footsteps rapidly entered the house running to strike. In a few moments the boy saw his mom, Piper come forth and bash the machine in the face, causing it to stumble and fall. A few well placed shots to the head and the intruder laid a smolding pile of parts.   
Piper caught her breath for a few moments before turning to give the boy a tight hug.

"Are you alright Shaun?" She asked worriedly.   
"Yeah I'm fine mommy." But the boy felt his blood still run cold, as he gazed at the revealed room. An old broken crib stood still as a white flag with a familiar symbol stood above it.   
The boy sat around the campfire. All the intruders had been dealt with but it had not been solved without injuries. He watched as his mother administered a stimpak to Piper for burns. The marks almost immediately going away from his mother's arm. All throughout the settlement, residents were patching each other up or rebuilding structures that had been damaged. Structures like the wall that was in the main house. He subconsciously fidgeted were he sat, his left leg jittering from the thoughts that ran through his head. Seeing the flag, seeing the crib, it gave him a fragment of a memory. An older man, his mother calling to him and hearing his voice cry out in alarm for his "father". But his father had died? Unless...

He gazed down at his right hand, it hadn't grown any bigger in fact he hadn't grown at all. It was already 5 years that had passed from that day so why hadn't he aged? Suddenly he heard a voice come from inside him that stopped his thoughts. A hand came to rest over his shoulder.  
"Is everything alright?" He gazed up to meet with his mother's eyes. It was now or never.  
"Am I synth?" It almost felt like time had stopped as his two mothers gazed back at him.  
"Shaun you're not-"  
"Am I a synth mother?" Shaun frowned and felt a short pain grow in his chest.  
His mother stood for a few moments processing her thoughts, hesitant in what to say.  
"Yes Shaun. That doesn't change-"  
"Why have you hid this from me?" He murmured, pushing the hand away.   
"Why!" Shaun started to yell, his heart feeling slowly torn. It all made sense now, why some settlers gave him strange looks. The reaction back in the Railroad's headquarters years back.   
"We were waiting for the right time, sweetie." Piper responded.  
"The right time? Like when I am 20 and still trapped in a small boy's body?" He started tearing up. Shaun wasn't sure what was going on anymore, or whether to trust the two people he called mother.   
"Shaun I'm sorry we didn't tell you before. But you're still our son." His mother replied. He had to stand up.

"I wanna grow and age like you two. I wanna be able to maybe at least finally reach the sugar bombs that you two hide on the top shelf." He sobbed into his hands. The boy felt suddenly smaller as he felt Piper hug him. It didn't matter anymore. This place he had called home suddenly felt alien to him.   
"You can still do that Shaun there's other ways reach there." She chuckled softly.

"But I will never age!" 

It was his mothers turn. Piper lets the boy go as he faces the woman who had found him. Who he had believed all his life as his biological mother.

"Shaun I love you so much. You have been more of a son to me than.." She stopped short. Unwilling to remember that segment of her life that tore her heart apart. She held back her tears and kept eye-contact with the boy.

"You are as real as human child Shaun. Just because you were brought differently doesn't mean we don't love you."

She inhaled and hesitated for a moment but knew the boy needed to hear this. He needed some comfort and hope for the future.

"If you are still torn Shaun, when it is your 20th birthday you can ask us again about aging. But for now I just want you to enjoy what you have left, son." She gave the boy a gentle hug. Shaun dried his tears against her sleeve. He could feel himself relax. The message resonated with him even though he didn't quite understand its meaning and what it had in store for him. But it was all he needed to stay calm and to believe that he was truly this woman's son.


	6. Ages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small reflection of the man who is trapped in a boy's body.

Shaun sits at the far side of the room. His surrogate "aunt" stands smoking her cigarette, supervising the latest edition of the Publik Occurrences being printed through the old printing press. He watches the trail of smoke leave the lit cigarette and sighs deeply.

"You know that can kill you?" He said casually at the older woman. Although they had only three years difference, the inability to age had made Shaun an immortal youth while Nat had grown into a young adult. She looked a lot like his other mother Piper, except for the cropped straight hair and the signature goggles she carried over her head when she wasn't busy repairing the press.

"Shut up. Your mom used to smoke all the time when she was my age." She instantly replied, giving him an annoyed frown.   
"Yeah but she quit. She knew that over time you can die from all that smoking."  
"What's the use anyway? We are all gonna die of something one day, unlike you immortal child." She scoffed as she flicked the cigarette. Shaun refused to reply, earning a smirk from the older woman who went back to organize the freshly printed paper into stacks. He knew that he shouldn't argue even if his veins pulsated. There was no use to argue, it would not magically allow him to age his years. Years he wasn't sure exactly had passed in his life since his creation, since he had first woken up at the institute during a warzone.   
The main door to the office opens, Piper is back. She smiles instantly at seeing her son. 

"How's it holding up?"   
"It's good mom, this latest issue will definitely sell faster than the last." He said in mock cheerfulness. Shaun needed air before he accidentally lashed at someone. Excusing himself he left the building and walked across the nearly empty marketplace. He strided to the guest house, his mother's place when she was in the city. Unlocking the door with his spare key he let himself in and walked the steps to the top floor rooftop. The view of the market laid at his feet. Above him was the heavens, brightly shinning from the lack of competing light pollution. He allowed himself to breath, to calm his nerves. As much as he loved Nat she really was becoming rebellious and obnoxious at times. He heard the door behind him open. 

"Everything alright?"   
"Yeah..of course."  
"Got into another fight with Nat again?"  
"She should really take care of herself better." He sighed as he felt Piper stand beside him to look down below at the market.  
"Is that all?"  
"No of course it's not. I can never hide anything from you can I?" He heard her laugh, the reaction surprising him.  
"I'm sorry, that's just something I used to say to your mother. But I guess it helps that I'm a reporter too?" She shrugged.  
"In all seriousness you are getting older and we have all been treating you as an adult now than before."   
He groaned in frustration. This wasn't what he wanted to hear, he felt hopeless.   
"Hey now, it's not the end of the world again." She said as she placed an arm behind his back and began rubbing soothing circles.   
Shaun looked up and stared at the stars above him, wondering if he could make out any planets or constellations. Piper followed his gaze and also looked up, suddenly remembering a memory.  
"Did I ever tell you this is where your mom proposed to me?" She said smiling.  
"She took us up to star gaze on a night like this one and decided it would be best for the both of us if we committed to staying together." The gold band on her finger caught Shaun's eye for a split moment. He always admired how they always seemed so happy even after they got into an argument.  
"Did you ever want children? Children that could actually grow up?" He reflected out loud.  
"I already have my sister who is still a kid to me. I also have you Shaun, my son that ages every day even if I sometimes wish he wouldn't." Piper had to stop herself from tearing up. It really did leave her in pain to see her son struggle everyday with his "immortality". She composed herself and continued.  
"You, Nat and your mother are the greatest joys I've had in my life."   
Shaun leaned in to hug his mother. They both stood to look at the stars, wondering about the past, the present and the future.


	7. Requiem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life can be just as easily taken away as it is given. A lesson Shaun comes harshly to terms with.

An eerie quietness enters Sanctuary. The fog that decided to pass through that day doesn't help remove the feeling of unease on Shaun's' shoulders. He stays at his post guarding an exposed blind spot the guards can't see. The horizon of the mountains behind Sanctuary a haze. It has been a solid month and still no word of his parents. Not that he was worried anymore, he knew they could both handle themselves. The lack of news from anyone however was making him shift in nervousness. A faint ringing began in the distance. Assuming it was an assault from desperate raiders he gripped his rifle.

The ringing grew stronger till it reached the entrance of the settlement. He heard voices and then cries of anguish. Immediately he turned and ran as fast as he could till he stopped. His eyes became wide in shock, refusing to believe what was in front of him. A funeral procession.  
The ringing stopped and in its place came a million questions. It couldn't be-  
He quickly walked past the group of people, past the coffin, past familiar faces till he saw her.  
"Mommy." Panic struck him as he saw his mother, tear stains on her face.  
"What's going on? What's happening? Where is my mom-where is she?"  
He could feel a hand placed on his shoulder, he flinched and pulled away, turning. Preston Garvey another of his mother's many friends looked at him solemnly.  
"Shaun, there was an incident at the castle and-" 

Too many gunners, casualties, and blood that spilled onto the earth once more. Shaun could barely process the information as he stared at the ground. She wouldn't give up the castle as other people couldn't escape. The enemy was blasted away and defeated. His mom was a hero, but heroes were suppose to live?  
It was too late for a stimpak, too late for goodbyes and farewells as she was found smiling gazing at the sun. Shaun shook his head, trying to brush away any tears that wanted to fall. He looked back at his other mom. His only mom now. Piper could only offer a bittersweet smile. It wasn't like her to be so quiet. He felt fear and an immense sadness. Shaun didn't even realize he had been running till he reached past the settlement into a grove of trees.  
He kicked the nearest tree and kneeled to pick up the earth throwing it as far as he could. His heart felt like it was shattering and coming apart. He knelt down and pulled his knees to his face, hoping everything would just go away. 

It wasn't fair, it couldn't be real. This woman had saved him, had saved many lives to just die. It was too early for her to go.  
Shaun got up and walked around the settlement, doing his best to avoid anyone. The fog was almost cleared out, as night came. He could see the beginning of the lights turning down for the night as he walked uphill towards vault 111. His mother came from another time to this world, just like he did from another womb. Shaun reached the top to the makeshift graveyard. The remains of everyone who died down in the vault were buried here including his "father". A new grave had been dug now with a lingering visitor. He knew he had already missed the funeral.  
Shaun walked towards the new grave and joined Piper. He gazed at the burning candle that slowly melted in her hands. Slowly, he takes one of her hands and presses it gently. She smiles in relief softly, as they both mourn in silence against the escaping fog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On that note ends Hard Knocks. Thank you for taking the time to read this everyone.


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